New-York tribune., 1887-12-13

PERI renaicular walls about breast high. In tie
n ddle is a onkey's house crossing from Dulwark
to buwaik. Aft Of this stuaio tent or " saloon
was erected of canvas stretched over skeleton
fraule and small tent pitched forward WIN
these and few other changes the berrchon
was converted into a house boat which acconmo-
dated comfortably Mr.. Hamerton. friend ana
Mr.. Joseph Pennel with a crew consisting OF " the
Pilot" Stho Patron " and boy, and Louioh' 'ho
donkey. The startns point was ChAioh' "henc"
the boat was owed by tug up to Core. where the
Coney enters the Upper Saone, Mr.. PennelI JOINING
the party en- routc at Gray. Daring this time Mr.
uamerton conn~s himself for the most part to
notes of domestic and personal character, reScrv-
ing description of the towns and scenes along the
river for the more leisurely descent For the
various features of this descent, tho Glinpses OF
canal and river scenery and life. wo mast refer the
reader TO the book itself. The only adventure
worthy cf tho name was the arrest OF the party by
gendarmes at Pontailles. where Mr. fenneIfs
sketching was construed rs an attempt to make
plans aud obtain military Information for the ben
eit If Germany. The immeliate cause OF these sus
pcicns is thus explained: "Mr penncll uses
Bristol boards and first sketches upon them IN
pencil, making out lis whole subject III that way
he then proceeds to draw over ths pencil in black
ink aud often in the ink drawing he introduces
changes to improve the compositions Now. 1t SO
happened that in the drawing OF Pontalllcs when
the gcndarne held in his hands there was pencil
sketch OF Il house roof thaG had not been eiiicei
although it was destined TO be so as there were no
ink marks upon it, The gsndarme hal not notcci
this SO long as hc held the drawing the wrong side
up bnt " hen its position had unfortunately been
rectifcl the mystery of tho pencil m mirks lmmedl-
aely began to disquiet him. an he insisted upon 1t
that they were INTENDED TO represent tho Mont
Arlou. which he declared was place of the great
est importance In time of war"
The voyagers were finally released and they
escaped a similar danger at Ncrdur, partly througn
the inability of fat Justice TO squcezs into the
saloon whore several maps and drawings happened
TO be cO1spicuously diSpiayoi. On arriving again
at Chaon the party broke mp, bat Mr. Hamerton
abandoning tho " berrIchOn. which seems to nave
proved more Successful on the canals than on the
river. embarked upon his catamaran, the " Arar''
and in company with his son and nephew sailed on
down the Saonc to lie i rrbc, just above Lyons.
The narrative OF his voyage. which lasted from
April nearly to October. is cast in the sonew hat
dlscouragng form of letters. Tins form permits
parrulousness to which Mr.. Ilamertou i. not dis
inclined, but the seriousness it'll which he takes
every little incident and his carneStaess in enlarG-
lag upon his personal experiences are not unanns-
ing IN them Occasionally his precise
explanations have slight Rollo-book ilayor, hut
even possible suspicion OF prigsishncSs Is prefer
able to the inceSsant strainlng for vivac!ty AMI
"Iaghtne.s" which has characterized some OF oar
own periodical literature of this class kccner
scnss of bTmor would have mlds the narrative
moro entertaining, but IL is certainly interesting
and in various ways Instructive as thoso who nave
travelled with Mr. llamerton will readily under
stand. Perhaps after Robert Louis Stevenson's
Iulan. Voyage" ana Travels with Donkey
we are likely to lay down any new record OF
similar travel with feeling of disappo ntment
Mr.. Pennell has furnished lO2 pen and ink draw
ings made along the SIone above Chaion Mr.
Penhells manner, which We trn-t may not idll Into
manne rism, has become so familiar to our public
that these drawings hardly need to be character
ized They usually show admirable tact IN
compostion great facility In suggestive
rather than exhaustive expression by means
Of the broken line. AMI strong feeling
Tor color. Nearly all these drawings are rcprodnccd
in the text but their small scale does not materially
affect their animation. Even If form is sometimes
GIFTED and contrasts forced these drawings Will
eem to the easy chair traveller like the illuminat-
ing compamonship of bright and kcen-eyed
felOw-traveiler always in goot spirits Mr
IIamertons draw ngs on the ojbeI hand, are not
preeminent for vivacity or color le takes careful
cognizance of the facts before him. AMI so far as
tru tl of form IS concerned lie often snrpasses Mr
PennclL Bat the lattsrs personal way OF express
sion and pictorial ELECTS are qni:c foreign to The
older man. whose reputation rests upOn his books
and. fortunately, not upon his work WIKI pencil or
etching needle. These drawings however, are
really illustrative, and thcy form useful feature
of meritoriOus book.